Music / May 12, 2022

Premiere: Oliveyolive is finding his way on ‘growing pains’

Music / May 12, 2022

Premiere: Oliveyolive is finding his way on ‘growing pains’

Words: Dylan Murphy
Photo: Frenchie Stardust
Visualiser: Elig.Graphics,
Life Of Colour cover art: Grace Elizabeth Cullen
Life Of Colour Exhibition Poster: Daryatiff

Ahead of his debut album Life Of Colour, we’ve got the exclusive premiere of Dublin-based producer and multi-disciplinary artist Oliveyolive’s track ‘Growing Pains’ which features Tony Konstone and Curtisy.

Often when we attempt to smooth out life’s edges, we end up going further down an unwanted rabbit hole. In his attempts to find peace and self preservation, Oliveyolive curiously felt the best when he did nothing at all. His new album Life Of Colour captures all of that journey.

Dropping on May 13 the electronic sounds are a slaloming and introspective insight into an artist coming of age. As a producer, Olive has a penchant for bringing artists out of their comfort zone in search of creating something entirely new and across the record he pulls some of the most talented artists from across the country into his own orbit. To most listeners, Hare Squead are better known for breezy raps and earworm hooks, while Curtisy often makes slow-paced, abstract hip hop that makes use of soul samples and other timeless sounds. So Olive’s decision to catapult Tony Konstone from the duo and Curtisy into the stratosphere on ‘growing pains’ is left turn – in the best possible way. Cushioning the breaks throughout the cut with echoed reassurances that it will be okay, Tony’s vocals land on attentive ears like a guided meditation. Meanwhile, Curtisy is the courier to the final destination and his wordplay is the map.

The full album lands alongside a visual exhibition in Dublin’s Block T Studios on May 14 and 15 featuring a host of up-and-coming creatives and visual artists. Ahead of the event and album we caught up with Oliveyolive to chat about how ‘growing pains’ came together.

Life Of Colour

How did the collaboration come together?
I met Gavin back in like 2020 through Tony & Edboy and others who were also living in Tallaght. We made lots of tracks together when he was still just finding his sound. We used to all meet in pirate and book out all three rooms before it even became popular how it is now. It was nerve wrecking jumping on this and singing along these two especially when I’m still only learning how to become a better writer, lyrically, but putting yourself to the test is always the best thing ever to do! 

The vocals from Gav came from a song we cut with Evans Junior, but it became a dead end & I remember us having the conversation in the writing process about how these days everything is so lustful. We make lustful moves and then pay the price after but there’s acc a positive in these things because it’s pain that comes with growth. Why you continuously hear the phrase “it’ll be okay”. 

What motivated you to get Tony and Curtisy in particular on this one?
I’m big in doing things that have never happened & this is a collaboration no one would ever see coming especially on this type of production. I made this with vocals I got sent from Tony about a year ago that also became a dead end. 

Was there anything specific inspiring the sound of this song?
Sometimes when you go through these growing pains you don’t even release that you’re going through it and life feels so fast, so that’s where the inspiration came from that style of production, feels like rushing wind. Elements inspired from James Blake & EDEN. 

Watch the visualiser for ‘growing pains’ below:

Previous premiere: UNQ is trying to draw new boundaries in ‘In or Out’.